BENGALURU: With one of the principal rebels who had joined BJP having confirmed his return to Congress, there is a question mark about others. Adagur Vishwanath (72) told the TNIE that he will rejoin Congress in Delhi after he met AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, CLP leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC president DK Shivakumar. The former minister joined BJP in 2019 and helped Yediyurappa become CM again.
Vishwanath alleged that he was promised a ministerial berth but was never given one. Instead of being an elected MLC, he was merely nominated, and therefore never made a minister by BJP, but he denied contesting from Hunsur, his previous constituency.
The former Mysuru MP said he will contest Parliamentary polls. Last time, Congress fielded Vijayshankar, who moved from BJP to Congress during elections, and again moved back to BJP after elections.
Sources said, “Of the team that joined BJP, it was not only Vishwanath who was left high and dry, former sitting MLA Pratap Gowda Patil too was ruined by that decision, and so was former minister R Shankar who was accommodated as a mere MLC.”
Asked about his future plans, Shankar told TNIE, “Let’s wait and watch.” Sources said that the leader of the pack Ramesh Jarkiholi has been left without a ministry even after investigating authorities had given him a clean chit months ago. Sources said the 17 rebels are in touch with each other.